This invention relates to emergency flotation devices, and in particular self-inflating flotation devices as can be worn on an individual""s back, attached to a snowmobile, motorcycle, all terrain, or other vehicle, or that can be incorporated into the seat of such a vehicle.
Accidental drownings and serious injuries due to frost bite and exposure occur regularly in northern climates when individuals break through unsafe ice when travelling by vehicle or walking across frozen bodies of water. Others have developed a variety of different flotation suits and clothing, as well as life jackets and personal flotation devices, in order to prevent submersion should an individual break through the ice over a body of water. Such devices, while allowing an individual to remain afloat, do little, if anything, to prevent the onset of hypothermia. In the event that an individual were to break through the ice over a body of water, even if he or she were assisted in floating on the water by means of currently available flotation devices, the extreme cold would very quickly have a numbing effect followed by the onset of paralysis and hypothermia.
To provide particular assistance to individuals when riding on a vehicle that breaks through ice over a body of water, a variety of different flotation devices that may be mounted directly upon a snowmobile, motorcycle or other vehicle have been proposed. The object of such devices is to keep the vehicle afloat in the event that it becomes submerged in water. Provided such flotation devices have sufficient buoyancy, an individual riding on the vehicle will remain afloat, but only if the individual remains with the vehicle after breaking through the ice. If the individual is separated from the vehicle, he or she will be provided with no assistance in remaining afloat. Accordingly, such devices are limited in terms of their usefulness and ability to save lives and reduce injury.
The invention therefore provides an emergency self-inflating flotation device that attempts to address some of the deficiencies in currently available products.
In one of its aspects the invention provides a vehicle seat comprising a seating substrate, an outer seat covering, and a housing containing an integrated emergency self-inflating floatation device, said self-inflating flotation device comprised of one or more inflatable flotation bladders and an inflator that is activated to automatically inflate said one or more inflatable flotation bladders when said seat or a vehicle to which it is attached is immersed in water, said one or more inflatable flotation bladders releasably received and secured within said housing when said bladders are deflated, said housing received within said vehicle seat such that upon activation of said inflator said one more inflatable flotation bladders inflate and are released and detached from said housing and from said vehicle seat.
In a further aspect the invention provides a vehicle seat comprising a seating substrate, an outer seat covering, an internal cavity, and a housing received within and secured to said internal cavity, said housing containing one or more inflatable flotation bladders in a deflated state and a conduit, said conduit connected to said one or more inflatable flotation bladders and adaptable for connection to an inflator positioned within a vehicle to which said seat is to be attached such that when said seat or the vehicle to which said seat is attached become immersed in water, pressurized gas is transported through said conduit from said inflator to said inflatable flotation bladders causing said bladders to inflate and become completely released and detached from said housing, said cavity and from said vehicle seat.
In yet a further embodiment the invention provides an emergency self-inflating flotation device for use on a vehicle, said emergency self-inflating flotation device comprising; a housing secured to the vehicle and containing one or more inflatable flotation bladders in a deflated state; an inflator fixed to the vehicle; a conduit having a first end connected to said one or more inflatable flotation bladders and a second end connected to said inflator; and, a water sensing switch, said water sensing switch activating said inflator to cause said one or more inflatable flotation bladders to inflate upon immersion of the vehicle in water, upon inflation said one or more flotation bladders becoming completely released and detached from said housing, said inflator and from the vehicle such that said inflated flotation bladders float free of said housing, said inflator and the vehicle should the vehicle become immersed in water.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings.